De Blasio appoints heads of four departments, including Brooklyn Navy Yard

De Blasio appoints heads of four departments, including Brooklyn Navy Yard

Mayor Bill de Blasio

David Ehrenberg reappointed as president and chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation

From City Hall

Mayor Bill de Blasio named four key appointments to his administration on Tuesday, including appointing David Ehrenberg as the president and chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. The Mayor also appointed Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora as Commissioner of the Department of Design and Construction, Jacques Jiha as Commissioner of the Department of Finance, Lisette Camilo as the director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services.

“These are leaders who understand the communities they work for. They have the skills to keep the machinery of these agencies running and take them in a progressive direction that delivers for the people of this city,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This is a group of leaders committed to lifting up and investing in New Yorkers in every community."

Ehrenberg, currently the president and chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, will continue to overseeing the Yard’s diverse tenant base and 1.8 million square-foot expansion. Ehrenberg will work closely with the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development and the Economic Development Corporation to spur on workforce development and training that directly links the Navy Yard’s employers with local education and career pipelines.

“The Navy Yard is one of the great New York success stories. I’m honored to serve this mayor and his administration, and build on the foundation we’ve laid in recent years,” said Ehrenberg. “We are going to deepen our connections with employers, schools and workforce programs to help more New Yorkers be a part of this success story and get the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs in our fastest growing sectors.”

Jiha has more than 25 years of experience in public finance, with expertise in budget and debt management, economic analysis and forecasting, as well as years spent working in the New York City and state pension systems. Jiha will be tasked with ensuring the city’s treasury, property tax assessments, audits and collections run efficiently, while simultaneously delivering fair, transparent and accountable processes for New Yorkers when they engage with the department to pay or contest a fine.

“This agency is really part of the bedrock of city government. When it works well, when it’s done responsibly, all other things become possible. That’s an obligation I take very seriously,” said Jiha. “We are going to put in place practices that give people confidence in their city. New Yorkers probably hope they don’t have many interactions with our agency, but I promise them when they do, they’ll be treated fairly.”

Peña-Mora has more than two decades of cutting-edge research and industry work experience. As commissioner of the Department of Design and Construction, Dr. Peña-Mora will be charged with building public works big and small, ranging from making streets safer as part of the Vision Zero initiative, to renovating and constructing municipal facilities.

“Our standards will continue to be high. We will strengthen resiliency, efficiency and safety in every project we oversee. We hope to build a new generation of streets, public works and buildings that weave our diverse communities closer together and enrich the fabric of this city,” said Peña-Mora.

Camilo, an experienced New York City government attorney, has demonstrated a commitment to using the city’s purchasing power to create local jobs and deliver opportunity for minority and women-owned enterprises in every borough. As director at the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, she will be tasked with protecting taxpayers and simultaneously increasing the local impact of city procurement.

“Our procurement is vital to keeping this government functioning well, but it is also a tremendous opportunity to simultaneously invest in our own people. I am committed to keeping this system performing to the highest standards and opening the doors of opportunity to more New Yorkers, especially our minority and women-owned businesses,” said Camilo.